News - College of Arts & Letters

Illustrated scene showing four stylized human figures outdoors near a river, collecting and scattering colorful seeds across a green landscape, with plants, trees, and water surrounding them.

From Seed to Stage: MSU Department of Theatre Production Draws Inspiration from Historic Beal Experiment

February 9, 2026

Buried beneath Michigan State University’s campus are the seeds of one of the world’s longest continuously monitored scientific experiments — and now, a new production presented by MSU’s Department of Theatre is bringing that history to life. Currently in its 147th year, the William J. Beal Seed Experiment serves as the inspiration for Echoes from the Banks of the Red Cedar, an immersive dance theatre production written, choreographed, and directed by Alexandria Davis, Assistant Professor of Dance.

Three head-and-shoulders portrait photos displayed side by side. From left to right: a person with short dark hair wearing a dark shirt, a person with short dark hair wearing a blazer and collared shirt, and a person with long brown hair and bangs wearing a maroon top. All are facing the camera and smiling.

College of Arts & Letters Faculty Help Drive MSU’s Continued Success as a Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars

February 4, 2026

For the 11th time in the last 12 years, Michigan State University has been named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars, ranking among the colleges and universities with the highest number of faculty and administrators selected for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Eleven scholars from MSU were selected for Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards for academic year 2025–2026. Three of those faulty members are in the College of Arts & Letters.

“Smiling man seated in an office or library setting, with bookshelves in the background, wearing a gray zip-up jacket.”

Alumni / Faculty / Faculty / News / RCAH

Scot Yoder, Longtime RCAH Faculty Member and Department of Philosophy Alum, Appointed RCAH’s Next Leader

February 2, 2026

Scot Yoder has been named the next leader of the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) at Michigan State University. A longtime RCAH faculty member who has been with the college since it first opened, Yoder assumed his new duties as RCAH Director on Jan. 1, 2026. He was appointed to the position by Thomas Stubblefield, Dean of…

Rachel Zhai stands at a podium holding notes while delivering an oral presentation to an audience seated in a lecture-style room at the Diversity Research Showcase.

Student / Student

Arts & Letters and RCAH Students Earn Awards at Diversity Research Showcase

January 30, 2026

Students from the College of Arts & Letters and the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) earned top honors at the 9th Annual Diversity Research Showcase hosted by MSU’s Honors College. Thirteen students from the two colleges presented their research, with two RCAH students receiving first place in the poster presentation category and a College of Arts &…

Alejandra Márquez, Assistant Professor of Spanish at Michigan State University, wears an orange shirt and glasses. She sits in from a wall with wallpaper that shows green, blue, and yellows leaves.

Faculty / Faculty / News / Spanish / U.S. Impact

Ask the Expert: The Super Bowl Goes Spanish With Bad Bunny’s Halftime Performance

January 30, 2026

Perhaps you’ve heard him featured on Cardi B’s 2019 hit “I Like it.” Maybe you’ve seen him host Saturday Night Live. You might have even seen his name during the Grammys, in recent headlines, or come across songs from his most recent album, "Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” on your music streaming app of choice.Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny,…

Tasiyah Hampton, Kamara Drane, and Charisma Holly stand on a raised stage, each at a microphone. They wear professional-casual attire in neutral tones. A dark curtain forms the stage backdrop, while audience members seated at round banquet tables fill the foreground in a large conference hall.

News / Student / Theatre

Transforming Theatre Ensemble Showcases Student Work at Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration

January 29, 2026

When first-year Michigan State University student and Detroit-based poet Charisma Holly’s words echoed through the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center banquet room during MSU’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Unity Dinner, she knew she was giving back to a celebration transcending injustice. Holly, a Communications Leadership and Strategy major, is part of a new tradition for the Transforming Theatre…

Alex Guo presents on stage at Ignite Talks MSU. Behind her, a large projected word cloud highlights terms related to gender, identity, and community.

Student / WRAC / XA

College of Arts & Letters Student Named to Statewide Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force

January 28, 2026

Alex Guo, a third-year undergraduate student in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University, is among 23 students chosen from nearly 100 applicants from across the state to serve on the Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force, which will develop and implement recommendations to improve voter education and engagement among young people on college and university campuses in Michigan.…

News / Religious Studies / Scholarship / Student / Student

MSU Students Bring Religious Traditions to Life Through Immersive Digital Projects

January 23, 2026

Students in a Religious Studies 101 class at Michigan State University are seeing their coursework reach a public audience. Projects created in the class taught by Nareman Amin, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, are currently available for display in the 360 Room of the MSU Libraries Digital Scholarship Lab. The immersive presentations draw on materials from the MSU Libraries' Special…

A person wearing glasses, a black blazer, and a light pink top smiles while standing in front of a yellow mural depicting white cranes flying across a large orange sun.

Excel Network / Excel Network Communities / Excel Network Featured Interns / Internship / Japanese / News / Student

Japanese Major Expands Her Vocabulary and Knowledge of Japanese Culture During Internship Abroad

January 22, 2026

Alexandria Holden, a junior Japanese major from Sacramento, California, did an internship abroad in Kyoto, Japan, as part of the CRCC Asia program. She worked for Kyotech as a Research and Marketing Intern and supported interior design projects. She shared information about her experience with this internship abroad in this Q&A.

A photo of two individuals, a man and a woman, in front of a whiteboard.

Alumni / Arts MSU / Featured Alumni / News / Student / Student / Theatre

No Cookie-Cutter Performers: How MSU Shaped the Creative Careers of Two Theatre Alums

January 21, 2026

When MSU Department of Theatre alums Sarah Goeke and Travis Staton-Marrero revisited campus, they brought more than memories, returning with hard-earned experience shaped by their time at Michigan State University and a desire to share it with the next generation of theatre professionals. Now both living in New York City, that experience is reflected in the careers they have built.…